Monday, 19 March 2018

Pope Pius IX's decree Quemadmodum Deus, of 1870 that declared St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. St. Joseph is also the Patron of Canada. As we see from the Decree of Blessed Pius IX, one major motivation was to call upon St. Joseph to defend the Church against Her enemies. Today, the Church not only faces attacks from Her traditional enemies: the Synagogue of Satan and Freemasonry, but She suffers even greater blows from within by those whom should be Her greatest advocates and protectors, clergy who have lost the Gift of Faith.

Let us therefore re-double our prayers and devotion to St. Joseph. To all Canadian readers, a blessed and most holy Feast Day to you!

As God appointed Joseph, son of the Patriarch Jacob, over all the land of Egypt to store up corn for the people, so, when the fullness of time was come, and He was about to send to earth His only-begotten Son, the Savior of the world, He chose another Joseph, of whom the first had been the type, and He made him Lord and Ruler of His household and possessions, the Guardian of His greatest treasures.

And Joseph espoused the Immaculate Virgin Mary, of whom was born by the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ our Lord, who deigned to be reputed before men as the Son of Joseph, and was subject to him. And Him whom so many kings and prophets desired to see, Joseph not only saw, but abode with, and embraced with paternal affection, and kissed, yea, and most sedulously nourished, even Him whom the faithful should receive as the Bread come down from Heaven, that they might obtain eternal life.

On account of this sublime dignity which God conferred on His most faithful Servant, the Church has always most highly honoured and lauded the Most Blessed Joseph next after his spouse, the Virgin Mother of God, and has implored his intercession in all her great necessities.

And now that in this most sorrowful time the Church herself is beset by enemies on every side and oppressed by heavy calamities, so that impious men imagine that the gates of hell are at length prevailing against her, the Venerable Prelates of the whole Catholic world have presented to the Sovereign Pontiff their own petitions and those of the faithful confided to their care, praying that he would vouchsafe to constitute St. Joseph Patron of the Catholic Church.

Moreover, when at the Sacred Ecumenical Council of the Vatican they renewed still more fervently this their petition and prayer, Our Most Holy Lord, Pius IX, Pope, moved thereto by recent deplorable events, was pleased to comply with the desires of the Prelates, and to commit to the most powerful patronage of the Holy Patriarch Joseph both himself and all the faithful and solemnly declared him Patron of the Catholic Church, and commanded his festival, occurring on the 19th of March, to be celebrated as a double of the first class, but without an octave on the account of Lent.

Further, he ordained that on this day, sacred to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and Spouse of the Most Chaste Joseph, a declaration to that effect should by this present Decree of The Sacred Congregation of Rites be published.

Sunday, 18 March 2018

“Being concerned for each other” also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: “Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more” (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15).

The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church’s tradition has included “admonishing sinners” among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil.

I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other.

As the Apostle Paul says: “If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way” (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. Scripture tells us that even “the upright falls seven times” (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord’s ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us.

Saturday, 17 March 2018

Alice von Hildebrand wrote an interesting reflection in 2015, which, with the crisis in the Church showing no signs of abetting, is even more pertinent nearly three years later. As this tragic crisis unfolds, the temptations to heresy and schism will increase.

von Hildebrand wrote:

If anyone came to me with the following request: what is the book on spiritual life that you would recommend not only for beginners, but also for people who have already taken their first steps? Without a moment’s hesitation, I would say; Saint Francis of Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life, a book published in the XVII century which, I believe, never was out of print.

There is a profound reason for it: not only is it classical, (above time and fashion), but it has a value for people of the most varied backgrounds. It is like bread: it will never be outdated. This great saint’s message is couched in such gracious terms that he combines depth of thought, and gentle charm.

One typical temptation of beginners in spiritual life, is to feed their soul on mystical literature, such as the Dark Night of the Soul of St. John of the Cross. Its very title attracts a large number of beginners convinced that they know by personal experience what this great saint and mystic is referring to. Being spiritually immature, they easily fall prey to an exaltation that favors dangerous illusions. St. Francis of Sales’ book combines profound spiritual wisdom, with what I shall term “holy sobriety”. Such spiritual food prevents one from falling into the very many illusions which are traps set by the devil to make many people endorse spiritual fallacies and leave the safe road of humility.

All I intend to do in this brief essay is to meditate on one chapter in Book 3, which, in my personal life, I have found to be a gold mine of insights. It refers to our attitude toward the faults and sins of others -- a topic of crucial importance because all of us have to deal with it, and very few are aware of only valid Christian response. Any sin calls for tears because first and foremost, it is an offense of God. Had men not sinned, Christ would not have been crucified. This should be our primary concern.

Friday, 16 March 2018

Over
the past two years I have slowly, but surely, endangered my soul by
writing on this blog in a manner that was not always Christian. Mockery,
ridicule, gossip can never be a part of the Christian life.

There were times when I mocked, ridiculed, gossiped about people. This was wrong, this was sinful. There is a way to challenge erroneous ideas without mocking, ridiculing or gossiping about those who may propose them. To Fr. Edward Beck, C.P., Fr. James Martin, S.J., and any others, I apologize and ask forgiveness for mocking, ridiculing or gossiping about them.

As
such, I am reviewing, and already in the process of removing posts that had strayed into sin.Simply put, I do not want not to commit sin in the process of writing about issues I care deeply about.

I have no intention of setting myself up as a theologian or philosopher, However, there were times when I did so by implication. I do not have the authority to make theological decisions or to instruct the faithful as an official of the Church. I only have the right to question (always respecting the person) via an informed conscience. In this way, I can, as a layman, do my duty to spread the Gospel. St. Francis told his followers to preach through example first, and then if necessary, with words. As I discern on my role in service to the Church, it is clear that I have work to do beyond this blog. There are other ways I can serve the Church, especially in my field of health sciences and music. The elderly need to be cared for, loved and served.

You will see a
change in this blog.My example is now Monsignor Vincent Foy. He never engaged in uncharitable words in
his efforts to promote and defend the truth. Truth must always be presented in charity.

Our Lord showed us how to act with and towards others. To the woman caught in adultery He told her, go and sin no more. He did not mock, ridicule or gossip about her. He challenged her to repent. I have failed to imitate Christ. He never mocked anyone. Nor should I. Even more so, as I am a sinner! I must learn to have compassion and mercy.

Thursday, 15 March 2018

Calumny, detraction and rash judgment can be very grave mortal sins. Several days ago, a supposed letter was released purporting to be from Pope Benedict XVI to Pope Francis.

Like clockwork, with 24 hours or so, the actual letter became public. It became known that one paragraph had been blurred by individuals in the Vatican Communications Office. However, during the preceding period severe harm was done to the reputation of Pope Benedict, where the Pope Emeritus was attacked, vilified, mocked, degraded, accused of heresy, modernism, etc.

This is the poison that has spread to the Catholic (so-called) internet world.

The men who created and doctored that letter, knew full well that within a day or so the real letter would be discovered. So why did they do it knowing it would be discovered? They are either highly incompetent, or were engaging in a deliberate provocation. Incompetents or provocateurs, you decide. However, there is no doubt that they were dishonest. Very dishonest. The result was further confusion, dissent, anger, hatred, distrust, antagonism towards the Holy See and the Office of the Papacy in general. The devil never rests, and he exploits every situation.

All of this confusion is leading many Catholics to "...fight one against the other, to the detriment of the true renewal and to the joy of the enemies outside and inside the Church" (Bishop Schneider, Letter to Michael Voris).

In the meantime, to the continued rejoicing of the enemies of the Church, - especially the Freemasons and their allies - is that the hated Pope Benedict was and continues to be a victim of rash judgment, calumny, detraction.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2477Respect for the reputationof persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;

- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.

Saturday, 10 March 2018

Pope John Paul II in Familiaris consortio provided the Church and the world with an overview of why Humanae vitae was prophetic teaching of the Church of Christ. The late Holy Father began by underscoring the unity of the bishops with the Supreme Pontiff:

Thus, in continuity with the living tradition of the ecclesial community throughout history, the recent Second Vatican Council and the magisterium of my predecessor Paul VI, expressed above all in the Encyclical Humanae vitae, have handed on to our times a truly prophetic proclamation, which reaffirms and reproposes with clarity the Church's teaching and norm, always old yet always new, regarding marriage and regarding the transmission of human life.

For this reason the Synod Fathers made the following declaration at their last assembly: "This Sacred Synod, gathered together with the Successor of Peter in the unity of faith, firmly holds what has been set forth in the Second Vatican Council (cf. Gaudium et spes, 50) and afterwards in the Encyclical Humanae vitae, particularly that love between husband and wife must be fully human, exclusive and open to new life (Humanae vitae, 11; cf. 9, 12)."

Christians can see that the relationship between man and woman is fundamental. The relationship is always unitive, and always open to the possibility of life, according to nature's design. Pope Paul VI, did not teach something new in 1968, but merely reaffirmed what the Church has always taught. We are seeing today, the bitter fruits of not listening to the Pope. Women degraded, families destroyed, men brutalized. Abortion has never been so rampant, with women on the Pill having an average of THREE chemical abortions per annum. Truly we live in a "culture" of death.

Friday, 9 March 2018

On February 1st, freedom of speech died in Canada. On that day the "Safe Access to Abortion Services Act" became law in Ontario.

This law makes it a crime to express any form of disapproval to abortion (in writing, in word, etc.) within 50 meters of any facility that provides abortion, or abortion related services (e.g. hospital, private abortion clinic, pharmacy). The law explicitly states it is a crime to “perform or attempt to perform an act of disapproval” against abortion.

A first time offender can now receive six months in jail and a fine of $5000. The new law has a clause that permits the abortionist to apply to the courts to have the 50 meter zone extended to 150 meters.

Ontario has already had its first victim: a brave man who was arrested in Ottawa. Sadly, our "freedom" loving Press and the authorities have refused to release his name. Now a couple of VERY SERIOUS questions for our PC Party Leadership hopefuls:

How is it possible that we have gone through an entire PC Leadership campaign without this very, very serious attack upon freedom of speech being mentioned?

How is it possible that not once were the already existing injunctions that abortion clinics already have in place against peaceful protest not mentioned as a grave violation of freedom of speech and expression by our PC Candidates?

Friends, true freedom of speech, true freedom of expression are under VERY serious attack in our Province and in our country.

We need much more than nice words. We need much more than political promises. We need serious action.

BEFORE YOU VOTE, call, email your PC Leadership candidate. Ask him or her why they have been SILENT about the abortion gag-law. if they tell you they are against the gag, ask them then why have they been silent about it? A citizen has been charged: do they not have eyes to see, ears to hear?

Tell them, that silence means consent or cowardice. If you do NOT get a reply that you an trust, then I advise you to do the right thing, and abstain from voting. Do not sully your soul for pottage.

Remember friends - just as with your bishop - it is not what the politicians says that ultimately matters, it is what they do. Words are very easy: it is action that truly shows character.

Thursday, 8 March 2018

In the Book of Acts, St. Peter, the first Pope and a Jew, admonished his fellow countrymen that there was no name under Heaven that we are saved, but that of Christ Jesus. On that day, over 5000 Jewish men converted to Our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the flesh, was a Jew of the House of David.

Our Blessed Mother, the Mother of God, was and remains forever, Jewish. She was and remains forever the Lily of Israel. The Apostles were all Jews. Against the hate of the Scribes and Pharisees, against the might of the Roman Empire, these few, but faithful Jews launched the Catholic Church, the new Israel.

In the Old Testament, Israel, was that Nation that was selected by God for the purpose of giving humanity to His Son, and His Son to humanity. Israel, does not mean the present day Zionist state of "Israel", which is a secular entity and opposed to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Catholics should take note of this key point. Zionism is an enemy of Our Lord and His Church.

Catholics who read Polish, would do well to study the writings ofSt Maximilian Kolbe. This great Marian Franciscan strove might and main all his life to convert Jews and Freemasons. Needless to say, for his efforts, they strove to block his beatification and canonization. The enemies of God failed. God would not be mocked, and His great saint was formally canonized.

What would St. Maximilian say about the betrayal of thechurchmen of today? Even if it be a man who would one day be pope? Even if false documents be published in the Vatican? A Vatican that the saint warned the Freemasons intended to rule, with the pope as the devil's "errand boy".

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin applies to her position within the Kingship of Christ. As the popes have always taught, the State owes Christ the King public worship and honour. The Church may tolerate "separation" of Church and State to avoid greater evils (e.g. in a divided nation, armed conflict), but She calls on all Her children to strive to make the social Kingship of Christ a reality. In doing so, Catholics then give due honour to Mary as Queen.

Firstly, Mary is the Queen of souls and hearts. But, as we are also social beings, she is the Queen of our social life and activity. The highest form of social life of a people is their union as a state or nation. Mary is, by right, the Queen of every Nation, beginning with her own, the Jewish people. When Catholics realize this, and believe this, they quickly understand what it means for the state of "Israel" to reject Mary. Interestingly, prior to the rise of political Zionism, not one rabbi could be found who ever taught that "Israel" could be re-founded by men, These rabbis, though they rejected Our Lord, still understood that "Israel" is for God to dispose, not men.

Friends, the Jews are in grave spiritual and physical danger. They rejected Our Lord and now, sadly, most no longer even believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Many were involved in Bolshevism, and to this day, many - sadly many - follow one false messianic ideology or another. If not bolshevism, then international finance and capitalism, freemasonry, socialism, neo-conservatism, alt-left and alt-right. Everything -seemingly - but not Our Lord Jesus Christ. Having rejected Our Lord 2000 years ago, their motto would seem to be "non serviam".

The Church has taught - as the great Jewish convert Abbe Lemann documented in his monumental work, "L'Antechrist" (The Antichrist) - that the Man of Perdition, the Man of Sin, will be Jewish. This makes total sense. Whereas, the Jews rejected Christ, and crucified Him; they will accept another, the Antichrist. Satan seeks to seduce the Jewish people - the once chosen people of God - through their own choosing of the Antichrist, to become his people. He has torn them away from Christ, now, in their tragic wandering from one error to the next, he seeks to get them to acclaim the Man of Sin as the Christ. St. John the Evangelist (himself a Jew) prophesied this in the Book of Revelation.

Pray to Our Blessed Lady, the Queen of Israel for the conversion of the Jewish people, that they come to see whom they have pierced. That they see in Him, not just a fellow Jew according to the flesh, but their God, their King, the King of Israel, the World, the Universe!